week seventy-three — aqua

ah aqua… there’s so much to love about this building. as mentioned last week, i don’t really know anything about architecture, but even i can tell that Jeanne Gang’s first skyscraper project is a masterpiece. Gang and her crew (would it have been too much to say “and her gang”?) took an incredibly unique approach to the design of aqua’s balconies, stretching them to extend by as much as 12 feet in order to give residents better views of chicago’s nearby architectural wonders and maximizing the shading of below apartments, cutting energy costs. the balconies’ unique shape also break up the wind streams coming off the lake, preventing the need for stabilizers to protect against vibrations and swaying. plus, they just look awesome.

chicago has so many wonderful buildings that i feel a little guilty singling one out as a favorite, but if pressed i’d have to give the honor to aqua. i love the motivation behind the design, and the fact that it’s so much fun to photograph doesn’t hurt either.